3D ANIMATED EXPLORATIONS

THE PROJECT

Blender is actively developed by hundreds of people around the world. All of them are united by an interest to further a completely free and open source 3D creation pipeline. The possibilities are astonishing and the objective was to find the limits of the 3D creation pipeline in a single software package. 6 frames per second is bold and allows in a few keyframes to express the idea of movement.

This animation style became a trademark and is part of the identity of this graphic series.

Design, modeling, shading, lighting & animation: Thomas CHARIER.

Get them with sound on instagram!

~ 2020

A BLENDER 3D JOURNEY

Blender is a free 3D creation suite and opensource.

I started using it again in 2019, once version 2.8 was released. The UI reworks and the fact that you can cover all aspects of a 3D animated project really convinced me to make the switch from Cinema4D.

It supports the entire 3D pipeline: modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, composition and motion tracking, and video editing. This graphic series is the functional proof that this free software is ready for production.

Freestyle as its name suggests is a purely experimental work. This series is both the result of a technical learning but also a personal research around graphics and colors.

The creation of short loops makes it possible to cover most of the functionalities of a 3D software and develop a visual language as the posts progress.

All this work was carried out within Blender. The research was developed with previous concepts designed with GreasePencil technology.

The objective was to find the limits of the 3D creation pipeline in a single software package. This study highlights a new approach to the graphic process.

This mixture of 2D and 3D animation combine to bring the viewer into a unique universe, rich in color, on the border of the abstract.

The first visual is based on a concept art never before exploited. The illustration staged typographical matrices - used in letterpress printing - component a face. The staging of typographic characters remains nevertheless very effective to give meaning when the narration is ambiguous.

The first intention was to experiment with contrasting colours in a community competition. The result went beyond the expectations of the initial approach. The original idea was transformed into a series of tryptics mixing traditional animation and 3D composition.

It's always fun to rework your old illustrations and give them a little boost!

As with any creative project, there were twists and turns throughout the production process. Over the creations themed letters gradually cleared to give way to more abstract geometric solids.

technical breakdown

After giving a try at Blender’s workflow, I can now say that it’s a huge potential for illustration that I had never noticed before in any 3D software.

The creative stages are similar to traditional drawing and sculpture but with a little twist: you can draw in 3D space.

This freedom allows a graphic improvisation without the composition constraints of classic 2D illustration. You can duplicate strokes, rotate them, place it far or near the camera, play with the focal length, etc. One of the best tricks is to make your sketch symmetrical.

Also, this technical flexibility makes possible a new interaction between traditional animation and the 3D environment.

The overall vision of a graphic work during the animation process is usually a recurring problem for 3D artists.

With the Cycles / Eevee workflow you can switch to Eevee to have a quick previz of your scene and at any time go further to your final result with Cycles: the native Pathtracing renderer.

Light and volume management is editable in real time for easy adjustments. The creative process is fast and intuitive.

Optimizing the scene was not a crucial criterion. The textures remain very simple while preserving the graphic spirit of the flat areas of colors. Here is a Eevee render exemple below.

conclusion

Freestyle is for me a capital part in the renewal of my creative process. The possibilities offered by Blender are astonishing and challenge the old practices still integrated in most 3D creation solutions.

The publication of these loops on Instagram shows by the statistics that the abstract illustrations have less impact than the figurative scenes. The challenge is to take into account the appreciation of the spectator's figurative works and bring them to the limit of interpretation. This process operates when a narration makes the connection between these two universes.

Animation is here one of the key elements in the understanding of the action.

The animation in 6 frames per second allows in a few keyframes to express the idea of movement and facilitates the interpolation of traditional animation.

This animation style became a trademark and is part of the identity of this graphic series.